Wireless network keeps disconnecting

On my Toshiba Satellite P25-S670 laptop, I set up a network called "HOME"
using an ad-hoc connection to another computer in my home. I have an Atheros
AR5001X wireless network adapter, and have Win XP Professional. Before
installing SP2 yesterday it would intermittently work and not work (connect &
disconnect, or show connection very low, sometimes excellent). Now when I
click on the wireless icon it says "not connected", and under "view available
wireless networks" it shows my network called "home" and another one called
"default", an unsecured wireless network which is connected, but I don't know
to what (we live 10 miles from the smallest town so there isn't any other
network near us up here). It shows my Home network (computer-to-computer
network) not connected. First, I can't find out how to get rid of the
"default" network, and second, I can't see a way to connect to my Home
network. It is set up for ad-hoc networks only, no check by automatically
connect to non-preferred networks, the firewall is off for now until I figure
this out. What seems strange is that in network connections, it shows my
wireless connection as "Wireless network Connection 4", but if I click on
"configure" beside the Atheros AR5001X+ Wireless Network, it shows that as
"Atheros AR5001X+ Wireless Network Adapter #2". I only have one wireless
network connection (or adapter), so where did the "4" come from? By the way,
no resource conflicts shown, everything looks fine in device manager. The
internet connection that is shared is Direcway satellite. Any ideas would be
helpful. Thanks.
--
L

Hi Laura

Have you considered setting up a wireless router as this is more reliable
than an ad hoc network? See
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/pro.../wifisoho.mspx
or further information on this topic. Also, are you sure there is not an
access point nearby with the SSID "default"? You mention this is not the
case, but the view available networks UI wouldn't show it as connected
otherwise. At any rate, to remove it from your preferred list, on XP SP2:
- open the view available networks UI
- in Related Tasks, click Change the order of preferred networks
- in Preferred networks list box, click on "default" and click Remove
- click OK
Once you've removed it from your preferred list, you should connect back to
the ad hoc network.

The "4" comes from the number of adapters that have been installed on the
laptop, so it looks like your Atheros adapter is the fourth one to be
installed on the laptop.

Thanks
Anton [MSFT]
This posting is provided AS IS with no warranties and confers no rights

"Laura" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:06563729-B363-48A2-B77F-(E-Mail Removed)...
> On my Toshiba Satellite P25-S670 laptop, I set up a network called "HOME"
> using an ad-hoc connection to another computer in my home. I have an
> Atheros
> AR5001X wireless network adapter, and have Win XP Professional. Before
> installing SP2 yesterday it would intermittently work and not work
> (connect &
> disconnect, or show connection very low, sometimes excellent). Now when I
> click on the wireless icon it says "not connected", and under "view
> available
> wireless networks" it shows my network called "home" and another one
> called
> "default", an unsecured wireless network which is connected, but I don't
> know
> to what (we live 10 miles from the smallest town so there isn't any other
> network near us up here). It shows my Home network (computer-to-computer
> network) not connected. First, I can't find out how to get rid of the
> "default" network, and second, I can't see a way to connect to my Home
> network. It is set up for ad-hoc networks only, no check by automatically
> connect to non-preferred networks, the firewall is off for now until I
> figure
> this out. What seems strange is that in network connections, it shows my
> wireless connection as "Wireless network Connection 4", but if I click on
> "configure" beside the Atheros AR5001X+ Wireless Network, it shows that as
> "Atheros AR5001X+ Wireless Network Adapter #2". I only have one wireless
> network connection (or adapter), so where did the "4" come from? By the
> way,
> no resource conflicts shown, everything looks fine in device manager. The
> internet connection that is shared is Direcway satellite. Any ideas would
> be
> helpful. Thanks.
> --
> L